MANILA — The increase in the country’s unemployment rate in October 2025 was due to natural calamities, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Thursday.

Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma attributed the uptick to typhoons, the southwest monsoon, and earthquakes that affected Cebu and Davao Oriental in recent months.

“The increase was attributed to reported natural calamities such as southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones plus the effects of the earthquake that hit Cebu and Davao Oriental,” he said in a Viber message.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the unemployment rate rose from 3.9 percent in October 2024 to 5 percent in October 2025, with at least 2.54 million Filipinos jobless that month. This is higher than September’s 1.96 million unemployed.

“While there’s an uptick on the unemployment rate from 3.9 percent in October 2024 to 5 percent, the increase is still within the target 4.8 to 5.1 (percent) for 2025,” Laguesma said.

He expressed optimism that the numbers would improve during the holiday season. “Hopefully, the stats for November and December will reflect a rebound in our economy due to the Christmas season,” he added.

The employment rate in October 2025 stood at 95 percent, slightly lower than September’s 96.2 percent, with 48.62 million Filipinos employed compared to 49.60 million the previous month.

Laguesma noted that seasonal and part-time jobs typically increase during the “ber” months, which may affect underemployment figures. (PNA)